Writer activism through the study of energy narratives

deep space nine

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This episode is an example of how science fiction is able to shift the energy narrative form into a utopian view of future energy use. Where No One Has Gone Before describes a time where space travel will be powered only by thought, which is connected to both space and time. Of course, human beings have not reached this point in their evolution, nor have they reached this ability in their technology.

A Matter of Perspective-

This episode serves to illustrate The Federation’s continuing search for the utopian source of energy, one with no environmental or political ramifications. In this episode the Enterprise is given the mission to check on the progress of Dr. Apgar, whom is working on developing a new energy technology called Kreiger waves. Cdr. Riker’s visit to Dr. Apgar appears to have not gone well. Just after Riker beams back to the Enterprise, Apgar’s lab explodes, killing him. Riker is accused of Apgar’s murder and eventually the Enterprise is able to prove him to be innocent. The Enterprise crew discovers that Apgar realized that Kreiger waves would be more profitable when used as a weapon. Apgar knew that the Federation would only pay for a new energy source and that he must look elsewhere to sell the new weapon. However, he wanted to keep using the Federation’s resources to develop this technology even though he had no intention on delivering a new energy source to them. Apgar was afraid that Riker’s report would cause the Federation to investigate his research further. He decided to murder Riker and make it look like an accident. Unfortunately for him, his plan backfired and he ended up killing himself.

New Ground-

The Enterprise assists a science team with an experiment. The team attempts to create a “soliton” wave, which will be able to put ships into warp without the use of a warp core and dilithium. The ship would also have 98% energy efficiency with the use of the wave. Of course, this experiment goes awry, however it is clear from the dialogue that more research will be done on this new technology with the hope that it will someday replace warp drives in starships.

Deep Space Nine- Indiscretion—

Major Kira and Gul Dukat team up to search for a lost Bajoran prisoner transport ship. They locate the ship on a desert planet and find that the Breen has enslaved the ship’s inhabitants, and that the prisoners mine dilithium for the Breen. This episode is yet another example of the many labor violations that occur in energy narratives.